Valve spring compressing tool



Sept. 4, 1951 M. P. MIHALIC VALVE SPRING COMPRESSING TOOL Filed July 25, 1947 Inventor Michael P. Mihalic QMFM A m rneys Patented Sept. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,566,460 i VALVE; SPRING COMPRESSING TooL I Michael P. Mihalic, Detroit, Mich.

Application: July 25, 1941,. Serial No. 763,413

This invention relates to a tool for, removing and replacing broken valve springs on engines of the type employing overhead valves and more particularly has reieren-ce to a tool which may be utilized for replacing a broken valve spring without removing. the rocker arm and shaft assembly. V

Another and important objectof the invention is to provide a tool which willefiectively eliminate the possibility of the valve spring from slipping out of engagement therewith while being compressed.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tool capable of being slipped over the valvespring, after the rocker arm has been moved to one side and provided with means for retaining the tool in an applied position while the spring. isv compress-edfor relievlng pressure onv the valve spring keepers so that said keepers-may be removed from the valve stem, preliminary to removing and replacing the valve spring.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is aside elevational view showing the tool in an applied and operativeposition;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal, substantially central sectionalviewthereoi; v 7

Figures 3,. 4, and 6 arecross sectional views of the tool, taken substantially alongplanes as indicated by the lines 3-3, L4, 5'5 and 6-6,. respectively, and

Figure. 7 is a perspective view of an attachment for thetool. for use in. conjunction there with in removing and replacing small or inner valve springs.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the improved valve spring compressing tool in its entirety is designated generally Ill and includes a body member or frame, designated generally I I having a substantially cylindrical upper portion l2 which is provided with a head is at the up er 1 end thereof having a central, threaded opening 14 extending therethrought The tool body lzl also. includes a pair ofelong-ated spring arms t5 which may be formed integral. with or suitably secured to the lower, openrendi' of the cylindrical portion I2 and which projects longitudinally therefrom. The arms 15; project from diametrically opposed portions of. the: open end of the cylinder l2 and are disposed substantially in diametrically opposed relationship to one another and are transversely bowed to correspond to thecurvatureof the cylinder I 2 The'resilient arms l5 are preferably formed of spring steel and are provided with inwardly projecting foot members 16 at their lower ends the upper sides of which 2 Claims. (Cl. 29-217) are beveled at I11 to form the knife-like inner edges 18, tor a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent. The housing or body H of the tool it also includes a relatively wide ring or collar H which isslidable longitudinally thereof along the cylinder l2 and arms 15 for urging said arms 15 inwardly of one another when the collar i9 is moved downwardly thereon toor beyond its position of. Figures 1. and 2.

The tool. Ill alsoincludes a cage, designated generally 20, which is 'slidably disposed within the cylinder I2- and between the arms [5 and which includes an upper, disc-like end Wall 2|, a lower disc-like end. wall 22 and a pair of diametrically opposed, longitudinally extending connecting members 23 extending therebetween and formed integral with or suitably connected at, their ends to the end Walls 2| and 22 and which are transversely bowed to conform to the curvature of the peripheries: of. the end members 2 I and 22,, as seenv in Figure 3:, and for slidable engagement in the cylinder- [2 and/or arms Hi. The connecting members 23 are-substantially of the. same width as? the arms l5 andare disposed in alignment therewith to form: diametrically opposed openings 24: in the tool, for a; purpose which will hereinafter become apparent. The upper endi or head 21 of the cage 2t is provided with. a central opening. 25: tor: receiving the restricted, unthreaded end 26 0f. a feed screw 2-15 which extends upwardly therefrom, thread edly' through the threaded opening F t and which isprovided with a cross handle 28 at its upper end disposed above or outwardly of thehe'a-d r3 The stern 26 is jbu'rnaledin the opening 25 and" is retained in engagement therewith by a cotter pin or other means 29 which extends through an opening in the lower portion thereof and has a washer 30 disposed. thereon and located on the upper side of the head 2f to thereby provide a swivel c'onnectibn'between said head. 21 and the reed'sorew 2?. The bottom disc 22 is provided with an enlarged" opening?! which is be'vel'ed o'n' its underside.

'From the foregoing it will be readily appar' ent that the tool HT is readily adapted for compressing the spring of an overheadval ve whichis shown at 32 and which. normally rests upon. a cylinder head, a-portion of: which is shown at. 331

A valve stem 35 extends-reciprocally through an opening, not shown, inthe cylinder head 33; and

upwardly therefrom longitudinally through the spring 32 and is providedadjacentits upper end with an opening v not shown, for detachably re-- ceiving a retaining 3.4 which retains a washer 36 .detachably. on; the stem 35 The washer 36- has the upper end of the spring 32 hearing thereagainst and is retained thereby in bearing engagement with the retaining pin 34 so that the pin 34 and washer 36 combine to form the valve spring keeper.

For removing and replacing the spring 32, the cage or follower 20 is retracted by operation of the feed screw 21 intd t'he upper portion of the cylinder [2 and the collar I9 is moved upwardly onto or adjacent said cylinder 12. After the rocker arm, not shown, of the valve stem 35 has been moved to one side, the spring arms l5 are disposed on the outer side of the spring 32 and the retaining collar I9 is then slid downwardly thereon to cause the spring arms l5 to yield in-. wardly or toward one another and toward their parallel positions of Figures 1 and 2. As the arms l5 are thus movedinwardly of one another, the knife-like edges l8 of. the foot members Hi thereof. will engage beneath the bottom convolution of the spring 32 for raising said bottom convolution on to the upper side of the foot members l6, said convolution sliding over'the beveled surfaces ll which function as ramps for this purpose. When the foot members It and arms l5 are thus applied as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and retained by the collar IS, the feed screw 21 is manually revolved in the opposite direction for moving the cage 20 downwardly and'so that the annular bottom member 22 will engage and force the washer 36 downwardly relatively to, the stem 35 for compressing the spring 32. The opening 3i is sufficiently large so that the upper end of the stem 35 and the retaining pin 34 can pass therethrough as the cage 20 moves downwardly. It will be readily apparent that when the spring 32 has been thus compressed, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, that'the fingers may be. inserted through the openings 24 for removing the retaining pin 34 from the stem 35, after which the cage 20 may be retracted or backed off for removing the spring 32 and replacing it with another spring.

The new spring 32 is replaced on .the stem 35 after which the washer30 is applied to the upper end of said stem and the cage 20 can then be moved downwardly of the toolby operation of the feed screw 21 for, compressing the new spring 32 so. that the retaining pin 34 can be replaced in the upper portion of the valve stem 35 through the openings 24, after which the cage 20 is again retracted and the retaining collar I9 is then moved upwardly to allow the arms to sprin outwardly so that the foot members 16 will disengage the bottom convolution of the new spring. If necessary, the entire tool may be demounted before the new spring is applied to the valve stem 35. v I

For utilizing the tool I0 with springs of smaller diameter or in conjunction with overhead valves employing, in addition to the spring 32, an inner spring 31 of smaller diameter, as best illustrated in Figure 2, an adaptor, designated generally 38 and shown in Figure 7 is employed and which includes a substantially U -shaped member 39 formed of spring steel or the like which is substantially flat and which is beveled on its upper side and adjacent its ends at 40 to provide the knife-like edges 4| at the ends thereof, and which is provided with an upstanding arcuate flange 42 on its outer side and intermediate of its ends which is curved to conform to the curvature of said outer edge of the member 39. The adaptor 38 slips under the bottom convolution of the inner spring 31 and fits between the arms l5 and on the foot members I6 so that the lower end of the inner spring 31 will rest on the U-shaped member 39 so that both of the springs 32 and 31 will be compressed when the cage is moved downwardly, The flange 42 is provided so that the retaining ring or collar [9 'can'be slid downwardly sufiiciently to engage over the flange 42 for retaining the adaptor 38 in its applied position.

To insert the adaptor 38, before the tool I0 is otherwise applied, a screwdriver or thin piece of steel may be employed to raise the springs for inserting the U-shaped member 39 therebeneath.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims. I I r a I claim as my invention: r

1. In a valve; spring compressing tool forengines having overhead valves, a tool body having a cylindrical end and diametrically opposed resilient arms extending from the inner end thereof and constituting the opposite end of said tool body and formed'integral with the cylindrical end, saidarms having inwardly extending projections at their free ends,- 'a collar slidably mounted on the tool body and movable from the cylindrical end'into engagement with said arms toward their free ends for displacing the arms inwardly of one another into parallel relationship for moving the inwardly extending ends thereof into engagement beneath a valve spring and between said spring and an engine portion a ainst which it normally bears, and screw follower means reciprocally disposed in the tool body and movable from the cylindrical end thereof to a projected position between the arms for engaging and compressing the valve spring topermit the removal ofthe spring keeper, said collar, when in engagement with the resilient arms, retaining said arms in parallel relationship whereby the arms form a guide in which the screw follower means is slidably disposed'when in a projected position.

2. A tool asin claim 1, said inwardly extending portions having their upper sides beveled to form knife-like inner edges'for engaging under the bottom convolution of the spring when said arms are forced inwardly of one another,'and said beveled portions forming ramp surfaces over which the bottom convolution of the spring is movable into engagement with the upper sides of said inturned portions.

7 MICHAEL P. MIHALIC.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 22, 1929 

